Fulltime Rving... A Life on the Road plus a potpourri of amusements, interests & perceptions.: Jungle Island in Miami

Friday, February 27, 2009

Jungle Island in Miami

Another day off… another adventure! Today takes us to Jungle Island in Miami. It’s right of the causeway just north of the Miami Port in the heart of the city. As for myself… downtown Miami, or any city for that matter, holds no special appeal for me. Generally I will avoid cities, airports, and newly added to the list… ports, such as the Miami Port. It’s not that they don’t have things to offer… I just consider most not worth the aggravation of the congestion, & crowds… to keep the list short. One such place that is worth the trip was Jungle Island. A local attraction since the 1950’s, and moved to this new location on an Island in Biscayne Bay, it’s a great place to see lots of birds and other wildlife as well as a wide variety of plants, flowers, and trees. We were there about 6 hours and pretty much we able to enjoy everything. A local guide said you could see it all in a couple of hours… this would no doubt be true if all you wanted was a quick walk through and not really take in everything around you. The park is beautifully landscaped to look very plush and natural… this alone is worth the trip. The wildlife, some in a natural habitat settings and some in more oblivious confinement, is a a true joy to see and watch. The shows are informative & interactive, and you get to see animals that you don’t see walking through the park. The shows were especially nice in that the usual carnie/circus type show did not even come to mind. Lots to see & do for adults and kids… there’s lots of shade, and the park was very clean, neat, organized, and the openly friendly staff was a plus. (only exception was the outside dinning…they have a beautiful dinning area but they need to have signs not to feed the natural wildlife and enforce it… the entire outside dinning area was literally crappy with bird mess from all the ibis's that were attracted by feeding)… we ate inside! You can see lions, tigers, ligers, monkeys, birds, gators, turtles, fish, reptiles, kangaroos, and pet various animals in the petting section. You can interact with the birds… close and personal… and enjoy amazing plants, trees, bushes, and a few things that defy being placed into any particular category… except maybe for being alien or scary. Is that plant going to grab me? Around every turn is something new to see and enjoy! Another wonderful day’s adventures. I took about 800 pictures, Shelly the same… so it’s hard to pick which ones to blog with… hope you enjoy!